









































109

We collaborate with the Association of Theological Schools (ATS) to 
collect and provide library statistics from ATS member institutions.

ATS collects information from institutions in the fall of each year, 
reflecting the most recently completed fiscal year (usually the prior 
year). ATLA reorganizes the data from ATS member institutions to 
provide comprehensive statistics focused on the library portion of 
the ATS survey.

The following charts reflect data for 2017 ATLA Institutional and 
Affiliate Member libraries that completed the survey, issued in the fall of 
2017, reflective of the most recently completed fiscal year (2017–2018).

The full datasets are available in the Members Only Drive in the My 
ATLA Web Portal.

2017 ATS LIBRARY 
STATISTICS

d. A part of a library system jointly 
    administered and/or funded by 
    more than one educational 
    institution

c. A library integrated with a larger 
    university or college library system

b. A department or departmental 
    branch library within a larger 
    university or college library system

a. An independent  library 
    chiefly serving your institution

149

14

32

72

PART A
LIBRARY CHARACTERISTICS

1.  Which of the following most accurately describes your institution’s 
library? 

https://my.atla.com/NC__Login?startURL=%2F
https://my.atla.com/NC__Login?startURL=%2F


110  ANNUAL YEARBOOK

2. Is your library the primary source of support on your campus for:

Information 
Technology

Electronic 
Reserves

AV / Media 
Services

23

101

52

Formal or 
informal 
consortia 

for the 
purchase of 
electronic 
resources

Shared 
catalogs or 
cataloging

State, 
regional, or 

national 
associations

Reciprocal 
borrowing 

arrangement

Other—
mainly 
training 
and ILL

157

125

197

27

115

3.  Does the library of your institution have consortial arrangements 
for providing library services with one or more other institutions? 
(Yes - 218) If yes, please identify the corsortia/um and briefly 
describe the arrangement:



2017 ATS Library Statistics  111

PART B
THE LIBRARY AS PLACE

1.  When were the building(s) in which the main library is located built?

Has 
Written 

Agreement 
With 

Institutions

Delivers 
Materials 

From Main 
Library To 
Distance 
Students

Provides 
Access To 
Electronic 
Resources 
From Main 

Library

Institution 
Has Library 
Facility At 
Extension-

Sites

85

117

154

44

4.  Does your institution have one or more distance education 
program(s) or extension site(s)? (Yes—160) If yes:

Library 1 12 25 19 16 20 61 35 5 8 11 6 13 6

Library 2 4 2 4 3 4 3 1 1 0 0 2 0 0

Library 3 0 3 1 2 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

20
10

–2
01

6

20
00

–2
00

9

19
90

–1
99

9

19
80

–1
98

9

19
70

–1
97

9

19
60

–1
96

9

19
50

–1
95

9

19
40

–1
94

9

19
30

–1
93

9

19
20

–1
92

9

19
10

–1
91

9

19
00

–1
90

9

P
R

E–
19

00

2.  When were the buildings in which the main library is located 
subsequently renovated?

Library 1 110 43 19 12 3 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Library 2 15 7 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Library 3 7 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

20
10

–2
01

7

20
00

–2
00

9

19
90

–1
99

9

19
80

–1
98

9

19
70

–1
97

9

19
60

–1
96

9

19
50

–1
95

9

19
40

–1
94

9

19
30

–1
93

9

19
20

–1
92

9

19
10

–1
91

9

19
00

–1
90

9

P
R

E–
19

00



112  ANNUAL YEARBOOK

 3.  Do you use offsite storage?
Of the 58 libraries who responded in the affirmative, it was 

reported that an average of 16.73% of the total library collection 
was stored offsite, with the average number of volumes being 
87,500. 

Among the other items stored offsite were audio visual mate-
rials, archival materials, bound periodicals, monographs, and 
unprocessed materials. Some also reported that offsite storage 
could refer to another building on campus. 

4.  What other spaces or services are offered and/or housed in your 
library?

* Includes archives, art galleries, children’s materials, curriculum centers, denomi-
national materials, galleries, language labs, museums, other offices/centers, PhD 
study rooms and carrels, special collections, tech support, university archives, and 
vending machines/lunchroom.

Other*Writing 
tutor

Information 
commons

Computer 
labs

Group 
study 
room

Café or 
coffee 
shop

Seminar or 
classrooms

Faculty 
offices

102101
80

157

195

53

148

62


	Preface
	committee reports
	Committee for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
	Conference Committee
	Endowment Committee
	Professional Development Committee

	Task Forcereports
	International Theological Librarian Education
	Scholarly Communication

	Interest Group Reports
	Public Services
	Special Collections 
	Technical Services 
	World Religions 

	denominational Group reports
	Anabaptist Mennonite
	Anglican/Episcopal
	Baptist
	Campbell-Stone
	Lutheran 
	Methodist
	Orthodox
	Presbyterian and Reformed Librarians
	Roman Catholic

	memorials
	Officers of ATLA (1947–2018)
	ATLA Organizational Directory (2017–2018)
	ATLA Member Directory (2017–2018)
	historical Annual conferences
	AMENDED AND RESTATED BYLAWS OF AMERICAN THEOLOGICAL LIBRARY ASSOCIATION
	2017 ATS Library Statistics

